Free The Rose and The Warrior by Karyn Monk Page A

gone.”
    Laird MacKillon raised his cup. “To our brave Melantha and her clever band, safely home once again.” He drained the contents of his goblet.
    Satisfied that the drink was harmless, Roarke and his men all took a hearty draft.
    â€œBy God!” roared Eric, spewing his mouthful onto the floor.
“It’s poison!”
He threw down his goblet, splattering its contents all over Gillian’s gown in the process.
    Gillian stared in horror at her hopelessly ruined gown. Slowly she raised her shimmering eyes to Eric, who glared at her as if she were the deadliest of foes. She cried out in wounded dismay and fled the hall, dropping her tray in the process.
    â€œThere, now, swallow and you’ll be fine,” instructed Edwina to Roarke and his men, who were still choking on the vile mixture. “Perhaps the lass was a wee bit generous with the fish bile in this batch,” she acknowledged, sniffing Magnus’s cup, “but you’ll be glad of its effects later.”
    Myles wiped his mouth on his sleeve as he manfully tried to keep from retching. “What effects?” he demanded.
    â€œ ’Tis marvelous for cleansing the bowels,” Edwina reported gaily. “Just the thing a man needs after a long journey and irregular, poorly cooked meals.”
    Donald looked utterly revolted. “No doubt.”
    â€œYou will apologize to my sister at the first opportunity,” ordered Colin, glaring furiously at Eric. “Although I should have expected such brutish behavior from a swine like you.”
    â€œI thought it was poison,” Eric said sheepishly. He looked with regret at the screen Gillian had disappeared behind. “I didn’t mean to frighten her.”
    â€œI’m afraid the lass’s feelings are rather tender,” explained Hagar. “We all try to be extra gentle with her.”
    â€œWell, now, Melantha,” said Laird MacKillon, who was digesting his posset without apparent difficulty, “tell us about these prisoners of yours.”
    â€œBy God, they’re evil, thieving, cursed MacTiers!”
raged Thor, entering the hall with his sword dragging behind him. “What more do you need to know?” His arms quaking, he struggled to lift his weapon.
    â€œWell, I should like to know why Melantha has brought them here,” said Laird MacKillon reasonably.
    Thor’s eyes crinkled with anticipation. “She brought them here so we can hack them to pieces and feed their foul, mangled bodies to the wolves.”
    â€œActually, I brought them here so we could ransom them back to Laird MacTier,” Melantha clarified.
    â€œRansom them?” repeated Laird MacKillon, looking astonished. “Oh, no, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Absolutely not.”
    â€œHave you completely lost your senses, lass?” demanded Hagar. “To ransom them would make MacTier fearfully angry.”
    â€œSo I’ll chop them up like stewing meat!” offered Thor, hacking at the floor with his weapon. “Then we’ll grind their bones to dust, bake it into bread and eat them, so there’s no trace of them ever to be found.”
    â€œIf we just kill them, what will we have gained?” asked Melantha.
    â€œHonor,” supplied Laird MacKillon.
    â€œVengeance,” added Hagar.
    â€œBread,” finished Thor.
    â€œI don’t know how you can speak so in front of our guests,” scolded Edwina, casting the three men a disapproving look. “These look like pleasant enough lads. Have they tried to harm you?”
    Magnus shrugged. “Roarke tried to chop off Melantha’s head, but I stopped him with an arrow in his arse. Other than that, they haven’t been too much trouble.”
    â€œI should like to point out that Melantha was trying to kill me at the time,” interjected Roarke, sensing that an explanation was needed.
    Laird MacKillon raised his white brows in shock.